Your trade show marketing plan should inform any executive at your company why it's a brilliant idea for you to be exhibiting at the trade show you have selected. Therefore, it's necessary to include in the plan quantifiable goals and objectives for the show. As you start to list these objectives, you need to remember that when the show is over, you are going to gauge your success with regard to how well you achieved these goals and objectives. Keep them practical.
First, you have to have objectives and goals for the services and goods area of your organization. If your company offers a great number of products and/or services, then you will need to narrow your focus in this category to just a couple of targets. As you start this process, it's important that you consider the needs, wants, and goals of your key prospects who will be attending the trade show. What goods and services do you offer that are going to be most appealing to your key prospects?
Goals in the services and goods categories do not need to be sales-based. Instead, they are better if based mainly on Return on Objectives (ROO) which measures if specific activities have been accomplished. Goals and objectives that might fall into this category may include any of the following:
- A demonstration of product or service features and benefits
- A side by side comparison of your products or services with other solutions or vendors
- A demonstration of an improvement in a service or a product
- A spotlight on a new product or service
The second grouping for which you ought to have specific objectives and goals is specific sales and marketing topics. Even if you will already be engaged with your qualified leads when it comes to this topic, do not focus on just the potential sale! Think out of the box a little with this topic and network with some other departments in your company. Is project management or is the product development team working on something that could benefit from exposure at this trade show? Ask around. You may be surprised at what you learn and the new possibilities that grow.
Keep in mind that every time you exhibit at a trade show, you will want to create a new selling plan for that show. Although,when it comes to the networking as a goal in itself, you may notice that your objectives and goals are the same everywhere, show to show. It's likely the only actual difference you may see in this category is quantitative - the number of events and contacts you might hope to achieve will change depending on the specific show.
At the end of the goals and objectives section of your marketing and sales plan, you will want to list your specific measureable goals. These goals are what you should track to ascertain how successful your exhibition at the trade show really was. Examples of specific goals could be:
- Make contact with a certain number of key prospect decision makers.
- Set up a certain number of sales meetings per salesperson to take place at the show.
- Establish a certain number of new leads.
- Have a certain number of meetings with the media at the show.
When you reach the trade show, and in the course of the show, you will be able to tell who planned for the show and who failed to make a plan. You will be surprised to see how much better your team looks and how much better your team functions because you took the time to get ready for the trade show and set these goals.
First, you have to have objectives and goals for the services and goods area of your organization. If your company offers a great number of products and/or services, then you will need to narrow your focus in this category to just a couple of targets. As you start this process, it's important that you consider the needs, wants, and goals of your key prospects who will be attending the trade show. What goods and services do you offer that are going to be most appealing to your key prospects?
Goals in the services and goods categories do not need to be sales-based. Instead, they are better if based mainly on Return on Objectives (ROO) which measures if specific activities have been accomplished. Goals and objectives that might fall into this category may include any of the following:
- A demonstration of product or service features and benefits
- A side by side comparison of your products or services with other solutions or vendors
- A demonstration of an improvement in a service or a product
- A spotlight on a new product or service
The second grouping for which you ought to have specific objectives and goals is specific sales and marketing topics. Even if you will already be engaged with your qualified leads when it comes to this topic, do not focus on just the potential sale! Think out of the box a little with this topic and network with some other departments in your company. Is project management or is the product development team working on something that could benefit from exposure at this trade show? Ask around. You may be surprised at what you learn and the new possibilities that grow.
Keep in mind that every time you exhibit at a trade show, you will want to create a new selling plan for that show. Although,when it comes to the networking as a goal in itself, you may notice that your objectives and goals are the same everywhere, show to show. It's likely the only actual difference you may see in this category is quantitative - the number of events and contacts you might hope to achieve will change depending on the specific show.
At the end of the goals and objectives section of your marketing and sales plan, you will want to list your specific measureable goals. These goals are what you should track to ascertain how successful your exhibition at the trade show really was. Examples of specific goals could be:
- Make contact with a certain number of key prospect decision makers.
- Set up a certain number of sales meetings per salesperson to take place at the show.
- Establish a certain number of new leads.
- Have a certain number of meetings with the media at the show.
When you reach the trade show, and in the course of the show, you will be able to tell who planned for the show and who failed to make a plan. You will be surprised to see how much better your team looks and how much better your team functions because you took the time to get ready for the trade show and set these goals.
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